Arcanum
by Sachiel Vasilis
Summary: Looking back on it now, Matt wished he had the ability to see the future, because if he had, he would have never gone up those stairs to meet the boy who would turn his world upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Deathnote

**AN**: Thank you for reading this despite its crappiness. I appreciate it.

**Warning**: Attempted Rape.

* * *

_~The Savior's Rosary~_

The music blared as the men cheered, urging the red-haired youth to continue discarding articles of clothing until every ounce of his flesh was visible to their lust-filled eyes as they threw their hard-earned money at him, some reaching out to touch that sinful body of his as he worked his way around the pole. Matt had long ago adjusted to this line of work. He had no complaints really, since stripping paid well, and made it possible to keep a roof over his head.

Sometimes though, it wasn't nearly enough, which is why he was currently Rod Ross's "call girl". Whenever that man called, Matt would stop whatever the heck he was doing and go over to his place. Which is why, even though the crowd wanted more, he needed to finish quickly. Getting involved with a mafia boss might be bad, Matt had to admit, but the money was good. That was all that really mattered anyway.

He grabbed his earnings from the stage floor after his performance, ignoring the boos and groans of disappointment, before making his way backstage. He quickly put on his clothes, and goggles, before grabbing his bag and telling everyone goodnight as he made his out the back entrance. He checked his watch and found that he had an hour to get to Rod's place before the man himself arrived. With no time to spare, he briskly made his way past the various establishments, deciding to go through the alley in hopes of getting there faster.

Matt did not expect to get jumped, Matt wasn't even aware he was being followed until he found himself knocked to the ground, and his arms pinned above his head. He struggled, trying to kick the guy above him, while also trying to get his arms free of the other man who was clearly enjoying this if that stupid grin was anything to go by.

He refused to give up, and wriggled around, desperate to escape their hold, only to be punched in the face and his head slammed harshly into the cement. Disoriented, he couldn't get a grasp on anything, the pain in the back of his head, and face, swayed him, making him vulnerable.

Their dirty hands began roaming over his body, tearing off his shirt, his pants, and his goggles were roughly taken off, thrown to the side somewhere.

He heard them break.

The wind licked at his naked flesh as his legs were spread and a zipper unzipped.

Matt didn't know what happened next. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness, the face of the man would vanish, reappear, and vanish again, the sounds of scuffling would invade his ears only to fade out, and when he finally did become aware of his surroundings, he struggled to remain as such.

The last thing Matt saw was a black rosary hovering over him, swaying back and forth and attached to the neck of a long-haired blonde woman before darkness claimed him, and he knew no more.

* * *

**AN**: How was it? Bad? Sorry if it's short, but I haven't quite figured out where to go with this yet so…I don't even know if there will be a second chapter. If there is, then it might be awhile before I even post it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Deathnote

**AN**: Thank you for the reviews, they helped motivate me to continue. This is a pretty boring chapter by the way, I'm sorry about that. I tried to make it longer, but I don't think it worked out so well, my apologies. Um, I don't know when Mello will be making his appearance. It'll either be the next chapter, or the fourth chapter, if I get around to writing them. Oh, and Mello is younger than Matt by two years, which means he is 16.

**Warning**: None.

* * *

_~Killer Drug~_

The sterile lights momentarily blinded him as he opened his eyes. It took him awhile, but he finally managed to figure out where he was after taking a good look at his surroundings. White walls, white ceiling, the scent of medication, the steady beating of a heart monitor, and the feel of itchy bed sheets lead him to believe that he was currently in a hospital. Now, how he even got there remained a mystery. Last night was a blur to him, and as he sat up, recollecting what happened was…difficult.

All he knew was that he had almost been—Matt shook his head. The good thing was that it hadn't happen. At least, he thought it didn't. He didn't feel any pain in his rear, so he deduced that he was spared that horrible fate of being a rape victim. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the door to his room open and in waltzed his best friend that he hadn't seen in two months.

"It is good to see you awake, Mail." Near twirled a lock of hair around his finger as he made his way over to the chair next to Matt's bed.

"Yeah, it's...good to see you too, Near. What brings you here by the way?"

Near sat perched atop the chair with his arms draped loosely around his legs. He stared blankly at Matt and merely shrugged. "My number was the first one on your cell so they called me. Mail needs to be more careful. If he was not brought in sooner, the chances of him dying would have increased significantly."

"Gee, thanks for reminding me, buddy."

"Anytime, Mail." The two became locked in a brief staring contest that was broken when a petite nurse walked in, flashing them a smile when both boys turned to look at her.

"Good day, gentlemen. Mail, how are you feeling?"

_Like shit._ "Fine. My head and face hurt, but overall I'm fine." Matt stated blandly. He watched as she began to check him over, jotting things down on her clipboard as she went about her task of ensuring that everything was working properly, and that his vitals were okay.

"Hm, everything seems to check out." she smiled. "The doctor still wants to keep you overnight, is that alright with you?"

Matt shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Say, how long have I been in here?"

"Four days."

_Four days!_ Matt groaned. "My boss is going to wring my neck for this. I can't believe I've been out that long."

"Mail has nothing to worry about. I took the liberty of calling your boss and telling him what happened. He didn't mind giving you a few days off since you have been working hard all this time." Near said, picking at his pant leg as he did so.

Matt wanted to hug Near. "Thank you, Near. I don't know how I'd survive without you."

Near lifted his head and stared blankly at Matt. "You survived quite well these past two months." he deadpanned.

Right, he forgot about that.

"Well, now that everything is settled, I will take my leave." she handed Matt the remote. "The doctor will be coming in to check on you later on today, so be prepared." There it was again, that annoying smile which made him cringe. He waited for her to leave before starting the task of channel surfing, resigning himself to watching cartoons after finding nothing that catched his fancy.

Both boys watched the display of colorful characters dance across the television screen, Matt laughing a few times while Near watched on with disinterest. It was a comfortable silence, neither one talking, but still enjoying the other's company.

After a few minutes of silent watching, Matt's curiosity got the better of him. "So, how's the whole detective thing going? Have you finally been given a case that will help spread your name?"

Near's eyes moved away from the television to lock gazes with Matt. "Yes. The great detective L contacted me a few days ago, asking for my assistance since he considered me to be reliable." Near said.

"Detective L! That's great Near!" he grinned and reached over to pat Near on the shoulder. "Congratulations!" he said quite cheerfully.

Near wasn't as happy as he should have been however. He merely sighed and looked down at his feet. "It is not something to be happy about since this case is quite difficult. I am dealing with a runaway who is not only a danger to himself and society, but who is also quite intelligent and knows how to evade detection well." Matt detected a hint of exhaustion in Near's voice, something which made him worry.

"Come on Near, I'm sure something will come up. You just have to be patient." Matt frowned, seeing that his words of encouragement did little to help lift his friend's spirit.

"Matt, do you know about the drug called "Kira"?" Near asked, completely focused on Matt now, waiting for a response.

Matt looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember what he knew. "Isn't that the drug that causes you to have homicidal tendencies and makes you impassive to killing?" he looked at Near for confirmation.

"Mail is correct. Not only that, once injected, it is impossible to flush it out of one's system. Remnants of the drug remain in the body, making that individual a ticking time bomb. Overflow of emotions can make an individual snap, succumbing to the urge of ending one's life and not hesitating to do it."

He took in this new information. When Rod had introduced the drug to him, he failed to mention that. Either Rod hadn't known about it, or he didn't care so long as he made a profit out of selling the stuff. Matt shivered. He was very glad that he had refused to try it out when Rod had offered some to him.

"So, this runaway was a Kira user?" he asked.

Near nodded. "An excessive user, but not anymore. Still, that does not mean he is harmless."

"You'll catch him, Near. I mean, if you can solve a case in a day, then you can surely solve this."

If he hadn't been paying attention, Matt would have missed the tiny smile that briefly graced Near's face. He couldn't stop himself from reaching over and ruffling Near's hair, who glowered at him in response.

He grinned. "Let's watch your favorite channel, Near. The News!" Matt changed the channel, ignoring the soft groan of protest, as the news reporter began to speak while standing at the entrance of a very familiar alleyway.

_"Police are no closer to finding a suspect in the case of three men found murdered in this alley earlier this week. There was no DNA evidence found at the crime scene, and there were no eyewitnesses around at the time the murder is believe to have taken place. If you have any information, please contact police headquarters."_

Matt's eyes widened, and his grip on the remote loosened as the reporter interviewed a relative of one of the victims. "They're...dead?"

"Mail, what is the matter?"

_They're dead. They're dead. How did this happen?_ He reached up and grabbed two fistfuls of his own hair as a sharp pain assaulted the back of his head. Dead. How can they be dead? Was it-A black rosary flitted through his mind then, swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

He heard shouting. Near was shouting at him, but he couldn't grasp what he was saying as he lost consciousness.

* * *

L bit his thumb harshly as frustration began to coil in the pit of his stomach. With the ankle bracelet disabled, L had lost track of the juvenile who had escaped Whammy's Correctional Institution. He played the surveillance video again, watching as the boy climbed over the brick wall with ease before disappearing into the night. He clicked open another surveillance video that showed the same boy at the airport boarding a plan to Japan, a manila folder tucked under his arm.

He was smart. Too smart for his own good, that's for sure. Stealing his own personal records really made the job of tracking him much harder, considering that that was the only thing that proved the boy even existed in the world. L sighed, he really should have listened to Watari.

Speaking of the man, "Watari, contact Nate River and ask if he has found anything."

"Yes, L."

Once the door closed, signaling that Watari had left, L began devouring his strawberry shortcake. Eating something sweet was the best remedy for quelling one's emotions. Well, at least that's what he believed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Deathnote

**AN**: Thank you for the reviews. Ah, this chapter really gave me some difficulty, and it really didn't come out the way I wanted, but I'm still happy that I finished it. Someone suggested I modify the summary, and I do plan on doing that once I think up a new one, which I'm hoping will be up before I post chapter four. The story is deviating from the original plot I had in mind, so I have to change the summary. I apologize in advance if there are some spelling mistakes, or if some things are vague and make no sense. I fixed some things, but I know I might have overlooked a few mistakes somewhere. Sorry if the chapter is short again, I'll try my best to make the next chapter long.

**Warning**: Violence?

_~Marionette Massacre~_

"Glen, why exactly are we here again?"

Glen sighed, "For the last time Jay, we are here to see why the hell Kato and his gang of morons haven't brought the boss those firearms he ordered." he slapped the younger mafia member upside the head before making his way toward the entrance of the abandoned warehouse.

"Geez, you didn't have to hit me!" he said, already thinking of a plan to get back at Glen for the slight pain inflicted on him. "Hey, what if this whole thing is an ambush? I mean, Kato is known for going back on his word." Glen ignored him, focusing more on trying to get the damn door open, which was probably getting a kick out of not budging for him right now.

Jay continued to talk, oblivious to his friend's need of assistance, until Glen yelled at him to shut up and help him open the door, which he did. The door remained insistent on staying shut, but on the third try both men were relieved to hear the groaning of metal as the door finally slid open. When they stepped in however, they knew something was amiss.

"Is it usually this dark in here? I can't even see my own hands."

"Shut the fuck up, Jay." Glen stood there, listening for any sounds of movement.

It was very faint, but he had heard what sounded to him like bare feet slapping against the ground. He didn't know which direction it had come from, but he decided to take a guess. "Jay, you stay down here. I'm heading up the stairs to see if there's anyone up there."

"What? You can't just leave me down here!" his protests were ignored as Glen ran off. He later heard the sound of heavy boots going up a metal staircase before everything went silent. Not wanting to be useless, he opted to try and take a look around now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

He took his gun out of the waistband of his jeans before hesitantly making his way toward the center. There were crates off to the side and he could barely make out the faint outline of what appeared to be a small crane next to them. Nothing was out of the ordinary really, everything seemed to be in its proper place, so he relaxed a little.

"Glen, you found anything yet?"

Silence.

Jay's brows furrowed in worry, "Glen? Hey, why aren't you spea-" he was cut off as he tripped over an object he had failed to see in front of him, and fell into a puddle of something wet, warm, and metallic tasting. He groaned and sat up, spitting out some of the stuff that had gotten into his mouth before standing up.

"Damn, my suit is ruined now. Glen, hurry up already!" he shouted, angry and annoyed. "At least turn the light on if there's a light switch up there, geez."

He was startled as the lights suddenly turned on, "Fuck!" he shielded his eyes with his arm, waiting until he was sure his eyes were ready to take on the onslaught of the bright lights before lowering his arm. "Shit Glen, warn me next ti-" he stopped and stared wide-eyed at the sight that lay not only in front of him, but around him as well.

The bodies of men were strewn across the floor. Some of them were riddled with bullets, while others had a single gunshot wound to the head. Blood had pooled around their bodies, and when Jay looked down he saw that the puddle he had fallen into was, indeed, blood. Kato's blood to be more exact.

He stared at Kato's body, whose eyes remained staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, a bullet lodged right between his eyes. Jay stumbled back, the urge to vomit welling up inside him the longer he stared at this…horrific scene displayed before him. He had to call the boss, he had to tell him what had happened to Kato, and, possibly, Glen too. He pulled out his cellphone and hit the speed dial, shaking and begging for Rod to pick up the phone.

"_Jay? What is it? Have you talked to Kato?"_

"B-Boss, Kato, his guys, they're dead. They're dead! I-I think Glen might be too." his voice shook as he explained to Rod what had happened, from Glen leaving his side to the discovery of Kato and his gang members. "Boss, please come. Please. I'm fuckin' scared, I don't know what's lurking about."

The sound of a gun being cocked prevented him from paying attention to what Rod was telling him. He could feel the tip of it pressing into the small of his back as his heart began to beat faster.

"_Did you hear me, Jay? Answer me. Hey! Answer me, you piece of shit!"_

"I'm s-sorry boss, I can't-."

His grip on his cellphone loosened, and it fell to the ground as the firing of a pistol echoed throughout the warehouse. Rod's voice, demanding an answer through Jay's cell, was silenced when the heel of a foot slammed into it, effectively breaking it into pieces.

* * *

Rod wasted no time in gathering up a few of his men and heading toward the house after that disturbing call. He had no doubt in his mind that Jay was dead, and that whoever had murdered him probably had fled already, but if there was a chance the fucker was still there then Rod wasn't about to waste the opportunity to shoot the bastard.

He waited until all of his men had gotten out of their cars, guns drawn, before briskly making his way toward the warehouse, where the sound of a gun being continuously fired could be heard. They wasted no time in barging their way in and aiming at the person who remained standing over the body of their dead comrade, not once acknowledging them, opting to stay more focused on lodging bullet after bullet into Jay's corpse.

His men were waiting for him to give the word, to shoot the murderer where he stood, but Rod found himself studying the stranger first. He couldn't tell whether it was a he, or a she, since the person's hair kept their face hidden from view, but what he could see made him wonder just who this individual was.

He/she was filthy; it didn't take a genius to figure that out. The golden hair atop of he/she's head was dingy and unkempt, the hospital gown they were dressed in was covered in dirt stains, and dark smudges with specks of blood on it, and they weren't wearing any shoes whatsoever. If Rod had not known any better, he would have just assumed that the person standing before them was just a homeless fool, but the fact that he had killed eleven men in just one night spoke volumes.

Even now, as he watched the person continue firing into the corpse of one of his men, Rod knew this person could be a very valuable asset to him. Rod knew a treasure when he saw one, and the individual in front of them was definitely a treasure that would be beneficial to him.

With that in mind, "Lower your weapons." Those who had been with him the longest complied, but there was always that newbie who just had to voice his opposition. Rod really hated those types.

"What? But boss, this guy is…I don't understand! We can't just let him get away with this!"

"Just shut up and do as I say, Echo."

Echo scowled, "I've had it up to here with following your orders, Rod. A leader wouldn't let the murderer of his men off the hook! Justice needs to be served!" he shouted before running toward the person, firing as he advanced.

"You idiot, stop!"

The person whipped his head around to face Echo, and it wasn't long before the newbie found their positions reversed as his target began running toward him with his gun in hand, as Echo tried to keep some distance between them. His frantic shooting heeded no results as each bullet whizzed past its intended target.

Rod watched the two intently, amused with how Echo had become the one on the receiving end, panicking and trying to keep the person away as the person in question moved from side to side, avoiding every one of Echo's bullets with ease. It wasn't long before their little fight ended.

Echo dropped his gun as the tip of a pistol made contact with the bottom of his chin. His eyes moved downward, and he soon found himself locking gazes with two steely blue eyes, devoid of emotion. It unnerved him, frightened him because he knew this person wasn't afraid to pull the trigger. Knowing this he pleaded, begged, apologized, anything to get the other to lower their weapon.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I was stupid, I'm sorry, please let me go. I won't try anything again."

The minutes ticked by, and just when he was sure the person was going to pull the trigger, he was stunned when instead the pistol was lowered. Echo let out the breath he was holding, and thanked the person profusely before turning and shakily making his way over to Rod.

He was just three steps away when a shot rang out, and Rod flinched as Echo's body hit the ground face down with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Rod clapped then, completely impressed, and unfazed by this new death since he wasn't even fond of Echo anyway.

"Bravo. You truly are unmerciful despite how deeply religious you are." he glanced briefly at the rosary that hung around the neck of the boy. Now that he had a good view of his face, he could see that this murderer was just a child, a boy who looked no older than sixteen.

"Tell me, where did you runaway from? The nuthouse? A hospital? Those clothes are really not suitable for public appearances." He motioned toward the paper thin hospital dress the boy was wearing. "If you need help keeping a low profile, I could help you."

The boy appeared to be disinterested, but Rod knew he had his attention because his grip on the pistol loosened just a bit, a sign that he was willing to listen for the moment.

"I have a proposition for you. It's really nothing big, just a "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" type of thing."

There was a slight tilt of the head, but nothing was said so he took that as his cue to continue.

"I want you to work for me. I want you to be my assassin, my personal bodyguard, and in return I will give you everything you ask for, along with access to all the resources you might require. I know there's something you're trying to do, and I am willing to help you so long as you pledge your loyalty to me."

Both man and boy stared each other down, one waiting for a response while the other contemplated whether to accept or not. Finally, after much deliberation, the boy walked over to Rod and held out his hand.

Rod grinned and shook hands with the newest member of his gang. He knew this boy was dangerous to have around, but for the moment Rod was just glad that he had this "deadly flower" on his side of the chessboard. Indeed, with this boy, Rod knew that no one would dare try to stab him in the back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Deathnote

**AN**: I'm sorry for taking so long, I wasn't sure how to start this chapter. I decided to use the last sentence of this chapter as the summary because it sounds like a decent summary. If I think of a better one, I'll change it, but for right now it is going to stay. Ah, I am embarrassed about the…scene in here. It's the first time I've ever wrote such a thing so forgive the quickness, vagueness, and choice of words. Sorry, once again, for the shortness of this chapter. I thought it was longer, but...nope.

**Warning**: Um, smex and language?

* * *

_~Heading on up ~_

Near sighed heavily as he stared at the only picture L had of Miheal Keehl. It was a group photo, taken around the time when the boy was only twelve years old. Honestly, he didn't feel that this picture would be of much use, but it was the only one in L's possession that had the young runaway in it.

He noticed that every child in the photo was smiling, except Miheal. L had said that during that time Miheal was going through the withdrawal period after having using Kira for four years, Near had figured as much since the boy looked as if his mind was somewhere else despite being physically present.

Near set the picture down on the desk and stared at the unfinished e-mail he had been typing to Hal Lidner before looking over at his cellphone, contemplating whether he should call Mail since it had been a week that he heard his friend had been released from the hospital.

Mail "Matt" Jeevas. It had taken him at least three years to track down his elusive childhood friend ever since he ran away from home, but the reunion had been quite awkward, with both not really knowing what to say at the time. Back when they were children, they told each other everything, and though the two talked to each other still, despite what happened, nothing was ever really shared.

When that incident in the hospital happened, Near had asked Matt if he remembered something, anything about what happened the night he had been assaulted. Mail wouldn't tell him, instead he lied by saying that he didn't remember, even though he knew that he, Near, would pick up on it.

However, when he accused the woman on the grainy hospital surveillance footage, who left Mail in front of the hospital doors instead of bringing him inside, of being the one who might be responsible for his injuries, Mail told him, yelled at him really, that she wasn't the one who hurt him. When he pressed for more answers, Mail refused to talk to him.

Now that he thought about it, Mail would probably not answer his phone if he did call. Still, there was a sixty-five percent chance that Mail might pick up his phone, without seeing who it was, if he was busy doing something.

Deciding to take that chance, he grabbed his cellphone and dialed.

* * *

Matt was completely engrossed in the boss battle his character was fighting in when his phone rang, startling him. He dropped his PSP and watched as it clattered onto the bus's floor, cursing silently to himself as bent over to pick it up. He frowned as he saw the crack on the screen, before scowling and angrily taking out his phone from his pocket.

The bastard who was calling him now was going to pay for this.

"Who the fuck is this? You better have a damn good reason for calling because I just broke the only thing that was useful to pass the time."

"_Mail, it's Near."_

Matt blinked, "Near? Uh, how's it going?"

"_Things are going fine. How has Mail been since his release from the hospital?"_

"Fine. I just need to not push myself too hard and rest, that's all." he said, still confused about this…unexpected call. Well, he should have expected it really, but he didn't.

"_I hear people. Where is Mail right now?"_

"Oh, I'm on a bus heading to…a friend's house. Why are you asking?"

There was silence for a bit before, _"No particular reason. I was just curious."_

"When aren't you curious, Near?" he said, standing up as the bus came to a stop, "Listen, I have to go, call me later, alright?"

"_Yes, of course. Goodbye Mail."_

"Bye." Matt snapped his phone shut and set it back in his pocket as he made his way off the bus. He felt bad for cutting their conversation short, but he really didn't have time to talk when Rod threatened to beat his ass if he didn't arrive at his hideout in thirty minutes.

He almost found it funny really how his ass had been saved, but was now going to be pummeled anyway. Well, at least he was allowing it to happy instead of being taken by force. He shook his head to rid himself of the memories that were welling up to the surface and made his way down the street to where Rod and his men were currently housed.

He knocked twice, and when nothing happened he shouted, "Open up, it's me!" That yielded results as the door swung open and he was roughly pulled inside.

He ignored the harsh words the man directed at him, merely waving them off as he walked up the stairs and into the room that was so very familiar to him now. Once he shut the door, he began the process of undressing, knowing that Rod wasn't in the mood for foreplay by the way he sounded over the phone.

Whatever had been going on, Rod was clearly angry about it and so Matt began preparing himself mentally because the sex tonight was going to be rough, whether he liked it or not. It wasn't that he minded, so long as he was getting paid for this, but he did have his complaints, which fell on deaf ears.

Matt sat down on the bed and waited for Rod. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but he didn't have time to dwell because the door swung open and hit the wall with so much force that he could almost feel the whole room shake.

Rod was definitely pissed as he slammed the door shut and quickly unclothed himself as he made his way over to Matt. He pushed Matt down and lay on top of him as he planted angry kisses down the boy's neck and torso, biting every once in awhile.

Matt laid there, stiff as a board as Rod continued to cover his body in hickeys and teeth marks. When hands began to twist and tweak his nipples, Matt couldn't hold back the groan, finally allowing himself to feel those large, rough hands roam over his body, touching places that hadn't been touched in days.

He felt fingers probing a place that they really shouldn't before being replaced with something much larger. Matt closed his eyes, fisting his hands in the bed sheet as Rod thrusted into him hard and fast.

"R-Rod…" It was Matt's only warning to Rod as sweet release washed over. As he lay there, panting and trying to catch his breath, he could hear Rod's soft grunts as he continued to ram into him.

Rod kissed Matt harshly as he released his load inside him. They lay there for a few minutes before another round of sex began. The only thought Matt had as they began was, _"It's going to be a long morning."_

Matt later awoke to the bed shaking. At first he thought there was an earthquake, but once he heard a familiar voice yelling at him to, "Get the fuck up," he knew that wasn't the case.

"I'm getting up already, geez." he said, sluggishly pushing himself up on all fours as awareness began kicking in. The first thing to assault him was the pain in his rear, and he winced as he crawled to the edge of the bed. Rod really did a number on him, that's for sure.

Rod was buttoning up his shirt, and fixing his pants when he turned to look at him. "I have something to take care of so get dressed and lea-," Rod stopped as something dawned on him, then scowled and cursed.

Matt sat there, confused, and was surprised when Rod looked him over briefly, nodding to himself for a reason Matt did not know. He prepared himself for whatever Rod was going to tell him as he saw his mouth open.

"Hey, before you go, I need you to head up to the roof and tell our newest member to get down here. The boys need to have a briefing about what's going to happen and they can't have it if their main man isn't there."

"Huh? Why do I have to? Get one of your lackeys to do it." Matt said indignantly, he wasn't some errand boy for the mafia and he sure as hell wasn't going to be one now. It was hard enough being Rod's "whore", as the men in the mafia referred to him as being.

"They won't go near him" When the defiance in Matt's eyes didn't waver, he said, "Look, if you don't do it, I won't give you the money, how does that sound?"

Damn this son of a bitch. "Alright, I get it. Just give me a second." He wanted to bite Rod's hand when he stroked his cheek and called him a "good boy", but refrained when he remembered just what this guy was capable of.

By the time Matt had gotten dressed, Rod was already gone, having left the money on the bedside table. Matt snatched it up as he made his way out of the room and down the hall toward the stairs leading up to the roof.

Looking back on it now, Matt wished he had the ability to see the future, because if he had, he would have never gone up those stairs to meet the boy who would turn his world upside down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Deathnote

**AN**: I'm sorry for the long wait. Honestly, this chapter was a real pain to write because, halfway through, I had no idea how to continue it, and I almost gave up on it, but since I had already typed up most of the chapter I decided to try and finish it and this is the result. I'm not happy with it really, and I think it's all happening too quickly. I didn't intend for that, but it's happening anyway. Also, how Aiber knows about Mello saving Matt that night will be revealed in the next chapter. Sorry for the shortness, and thank you for the reviews.

**Warning**: None, I think.

* * *

_~Murderer, My Savior ~_

When Matt opened the door and stepped out into the morning sun, he wasn't really expecting much. He thought the type of guy he would encounter would be a burly man sporting a cow-lick hairstyle, who had a stick shoved far up his ass. He was so certain of that that when he met with the complete opposite, he was stunned to say the least.

He couldn't tell whether the person was a boy, or a grown man, but he knew, from his earlier talk with Rod, that the person currently standing near the railing, and staring off into the distance, was definitely male. From where he stood, Matt could tell that his long blond hair was greasy, and his feet were practically black from all the dirt and grim that accumulated from probably running around without shoes, and his—Was he wearing a dress? Matt stared at his attire that looked like one of those flimsy gowns they give you at the hospital.

His observation however only told him one thing: This guy needed a bath. He wondered why Rod hadn't allowed the poor fellow to use his shower, but when he remembered the cameras Rod had installed in there, he guessed that the guy probably spotted them and refused.

If that was the case then this guy was pretty sharp and Matt had to give him credit for that because he never even knew there were cameras until one of Rod's lackey's told him. Somewhere out there, he was sure, there was a videotape of him undressing and taking a shower, or one with him and Rod fucking while he was taking shower.

Matt took cautious steps toward the guy as he remained standing there, stiff as a board. If this guy hadn't been part of the mafia, Matt knew he wouldn't have been weary to approach him, but if even Rod's men wouldn't go near him then surely there was something to be cautious about.

The distance between them grew smaller as Matt drew nearer. Now that he was within reach, he found that he was not in the presence of a man, but a mere boy. A boy who, from the looks of it, was a few years younger than Matt and shorter than him by a few inches. Matt couldn't see the boy's face because of his hair, which obscured his face from view.

Matt looked the boy up and down, wondering whether he should make his presence known, when he noticed the boy's fingers twitch slightly, and his mouth open and close as he spoke softly to himself.

The boy's voice was barely audible, hoarse from possible lack of use, but if Matt had not been blessed with "super sonic hearing" he probably would not have heard the uttered sentence.

"_Sora…Sora is in __Merkabah__."_

Merkabah? Sora? He didn't know if the boy was referring to the sky, or a person, so he decided to go the safe route and assume that Sora was a person. But who the heck was Sora? And what in the world was a Merkabah?

Curiosity now piqued, he gave in to his urge and asked, "Who is Sora?" Not even a second went by before a fist shot out and struck him in the jaw, causing him to stumble back.

"Fuck man!" He touched his jaw and winced, "Jesus Christ, I just asked a question!" Matt's eyes widened, and he ducked to avoid the foot that attempted to make contact with the side of his head. He found himself on the defensive, dodging and evading every punch, and kick, that was thrown at him, trying to look for an opening.

He finally found one right when the boy readied himself for another kick. Matt wasted no time as he grabbed hold of the boy's leg mid-kick and punched the boy in the face, satisfied with himself as he watched him fall to the ground, both of his hands coming up to cover his right cheek.

"Look, I really didn't come up here for a fight, but you asked for it. Rod just sent me up here to tell you that the guys need you for some meeting they're having."

With his task complete, Matt turned around with every intention of walking away and returning home to his crappy apartment, and shitty life. Things don't always work out the way you plan however.

He had only taken two steps toward the door when his legs were swept out from under him, and he soon found himself on his back, staring up at the boy who had been lying on the floor not too long ago. Matt began to panic as he watched the boy slowly lift up his foot with the intent to smash Matt's head in.

"Wait! Don't!" When he saw no signs of stopping, Matt closed his eyes and braced himself for the blow that would end his life.

" Oi! What the fuck are you doing, Mello!"

Matt opened his eyes at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, and sighed in relief when he saw the boy lower his foot and glare at the man who had, for the moment, saved him from being killed.

"Aiber, why are you here? Didn't Rod send you out on an errand run?"

Aiber appeared offended by that statement, and Matt guessed that it was probably due to the implication behind it. "It wasn't an errand. It was a mission Mello, mission, not a fucking errand."

Mello nodded, but his eyes clearly stated that he could care less. Matt took this opportunity to stand up and move as far away from Mello as possible, who only smirked in response.

"Geez, look what you did to the poor guy. He's all scared now." Aiber said, "Honestly, you need to learn some self control."

Mello didn't say anything back, merely stared at Aiber blankly.

Aiber raised in eyebrow, "I know that look. Don't even try it kid because not even Rod will save you from the bullet I will lodge into your head."

Matt swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched both man and boy stare each other down, neither one willing to break eye contact.

Aiber, being the less stubborn of the two, was the first to end their little staring match as he rolled his eyes at how childish they were being. "Mello, enough. Rod expects this job to be done by the time he gets back so get your cute ass downstairs so you and your guys can go over the plan."

Matt saw Mello visibly bristle at Aiber's "cute ass" comment, but he did not retort, instead he used his fist to show his anger. He punched Aiber in the stomach right before he walked passed him.

"Oof!" Aiber clutched his stomach and cursed at Mello, who ignored him as he walked toward the door and out of sight.

There was a brief moment of silence, with Matt wondering if he should just leave now, and Aiber rubbing his stomach in an attempt to alleviate the pain inflicted on him thanks to Mello's fist.

"Forgive the newbie, he's a bit unstable." Aiber said, "He's not always like that, but I guess his nerves are acting up again."

"It's alright, I'm just glad you showed up before my head was crushed." Aiber smiled, and Matt tried to return the gesture, but it must have failed to look genuine because Aiber said, "You don't need to try so hard, kid."

"I've never seen you around here. Are you new too?" Aiber scoffed, and he wasn't sure what he said wrong that earned him such a response.

"No, I'm not new. Rod always has me out doing stuff most of the time and by the time night rolls around I'm already asleep in my bed. Which reminds me, why are you here in the morning? I heard he mostly calls you at night."

Matt looked away. Knowing that everyone here, even Aiber, who he had never even met before until today, knew about he and Rod's midnight romps, was slightly embarrassing. Aiber didn't seem aware of his embarrassment, or he didn't care, because he was still waiting for an answer to his question, which Matt had no choice but to answer.

"I don't know. He just called me and told me to come." he said, "I guess he was stressed or something since he sounded pretty angry."

"Not surprising then. Things have been pretty hectic around here."

He didn't expect Aiber to elaborate, and he didn't care if he did or not since it wasn't any of his business, nor did he want it to be. It was bad enough that he was Aiber's boss's fuck buddy, and to know about what was going on in their little group would probably result in him either being forced to join the gang, or killed.

Those were two things that he was not particularly fond of and wished to avoid at all cost.

Matt decided that he should leave then. He really didn't want to stick around now, especially when the recent incident began to replay in his head.

"It was…nice talking to you, Aiber, but I have to go. Maybe we'll start running into each other more often now." Matt hoped not. Aiber, though friendly, was not someone he wanted to be around or associate himself with.

"Highly unlikely, but who knows, right?"

"Yeah." He was just about to descend the stairs when Aiber's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"He really isn't a bad kid, you know? The guys think he's someone to fear, but I assure you he's not."

He turned to face Aiber, "Why are you telling me? It's not going to change my view of him, especially since he tried to kill me, or have you forgotten that?"

"No, I haven't. It's just that…," Aiber frowned, " You should know."

Matt snorted, "Know? How am I supposed to know? I've never met him before."

Confusion was evident in Aiber's eyes, and Matt couldn't fathom why such an emotion was even there. There was no real reason for Aiber to be confused. At least, that's what he told himself.

He expected Aiber to give him an explanation, but he didn't expect the words that came out of Aiber's mouth to be so…ironic.

"He saved your life remember?"

No. Fucking. Way.


End file.
